Index Astartes: Ordos Xenos

Brother Castiel Decius

Description:

Height: 11 Imperial Standard Spans (2.5 meters)
Weight: 1100 kilograms
Age: 55
Hair: Light brown (cut short to skull currently)
Eyes: Grey
General Description: Castiel Decius is a giant, even amongst his Marine brothers. Standing only slightly beneath those of his Chapter clad in the venerated Terminator armour, he would be easy to pick out amongst his squad, his enthusiastic use of the heavy bolter notwithstanding. War has yet to visit too hostile a touch upon his visage, leaving the typical non-descript Ultramarine face clear. The rest of his body was another matter. Castiel’s right arm is streaked with parallel scars, the result of hauling his arm from the maw of a vile xeno-creature that attempted to eat his then entrusted multi-melta. There is also a share of flesh on Brother Castiel’s left thigh, the wound he carried from Sebastian’s Haven, the result of the metallic automaton’s devilish weaponry. It took a fortnight of the Apothecary’s care, along with slabs of vat muscle to return the leg’s full strength.

Bio:

Early Life:
Castiel Decius, of the venerable Ultramarines Chapter, was born on the Cavern World of Calth, in the year 822.M41. Parents of middling class, normally a child of Castiel’s breed would not have caught any attention amongst the masses. Such was his lot, right up until a tragic accident, in 905. Castiel and his family worked one of the aquaculture vats in one of the more isolated caverns, and one day, there was a cavern collapse. Buried in tonnes of rubble, the entire complex, including it’s attendant worker lodgings. It was the Emperor’s favour that the 3rd Company Strike Cruiser had just put into port for repairs, and the lion’s share of the Company had yet to transfer to Macragge. They sped along the rescue operations, tossing aside rubble in the tight confines of ruined tunnels. Up till the very end of the cavern, they had found only bodies. At the end of the cavern, two slabs of cave section had fallen together to create an area that hadn’t been crushed completely. Within this enclave, the Decius’s dwelling had collapsed as any other, but was spared the crush of earth. Castiel was found tearing away at the collapsed structure, hands bloodied and raw. Chaplain Thallius found the boy, tears running down his face, and tried to pull him away. Castiel immediately turned on the Chaplain, beating at the jet armour till he was released, then turning back to his parents. Thrice more did the Chaplain try to pull the boy away, and each time he struggled with the same fervor. Thallius bade the rest of his brethren to finish the recovery, while he stood by the boy. For two days, the child dug at the wreckage, without food, little sleep, and no words. Thallius helped sparingly, till Castiel succumbed to fatigue. This dedication spoke to the Ultramarine, and Castiel was thus borne back to Macragge with the company, to be put forth before the Chapter’s recruiters.

The Scout Years:
Castiel entered the Scout Company at the Askellon Barracks, in the southern reaches of Macragge. He inherited Torias Tellion’s talent for carefully selected shots despite not training directly under the venerable Sergeant aside from full Company range and mock battles. Castiel gained the same proficiency for all the Chapter’s weapons, as expected of every recruit, though showing not nearly the same fondness for any weapon other than the heavy bolter. Records show his first combat tour was an escort for the famed Tellion. Castiel strode to battle on Trenor, wielding his favoured heavy bolter. As it was, this would be Castiel’s last deployment as a Scout, his first phase of Marine training deemed complete.

The Reserve Companies:
Such was training that Castiel was gifted with his first suit of power armour as he was placed within the Devastator 9th. Before long, his favoured heavy bolter was returned to him, and he scored his first Marksman’s Honour in action bringing a secessionist world back into line. It’s noted that several rebel vehicles were disabled under disciplined fire from Castiel’s squad, rather than destroyed. A decade later, Castiel strode to war against the Tau, and again, this time fighting Orks. Casualties incurred in this action left a trio of slots open in the Assault Squads, and as such, Castiel was moved on to the 8th Company. Compared to his term in the 9th, his service in the 8th was lackluster, though Castiel would brook no weakness in his prosecution of war. Another 7 years passed before Castiel was given the opportunity to move on to the 7th Company. Here, Castiel returned to habits formed in the 9th, disciplined fire his hallmark. It was also here that another trait emerged. Whenever he bore the squad’s heavy bolter into battle, he stood as a bulwark. Always forming the center around which the squad advanced, the point from which the squad would rally, and the heart of any defensive maneuver. Castiel was as a rock within the rapids of combat. It was here that Castiel was tasked with carrying the squad’s banner. His squad retained it’s roster, right up till the entire squad’s transfer to the Third Company.

The Third Company:
The Ultramarines Third Company, Scourge of the Xenos. It was here that Castiel would spend the bulk of his career. It was fortuitous that Castiel would serve in the same Company that had rescued him as a child, all those years ago. He always remained the heart of the squad, even when not carrying the heavy bolter. To the end of his service, he continued to carry the squad’s banner, often standing beside Malik, the squad’s sergeant. Castiel and his squad fought the Emperor’s foes by the legion. They brought the light to a great many parts of the Eastern Fringe. Orks, Tau, renegades, even the Traitor Space Marines a handful of times. All fell under disciplined hail of bolter shells.

Throughout his term in the 3rd, Castiel accrued easily his share of honours, including several recurring incidents of the Marksman’s Honour. The jewel on Castiel’s honour roll, however, is the year he earned the Imperial Laurel. On the Shrine World of Sebastian’s Haven, something awoke. Living skeletons of metal emerged, some appearing in emerald mists, others hauling themselves from the very earth. The Necrons came forth, and fell upon the pious of the Shrine World. The Third Company’s Strike Cruiser, returning to Macragge, caught word of the invasion, and deployed it’s troops to the surface. Timing, however, was not on the side of the Imperium. Necrons controlled nearly all of the world, and were easily slaughtering those they found.

The Planetary Defense Force had rallied the remainder of it’s strength at a great cathedral to Sebastian Thor, the stone edifice aiding them in holding off the murderous machines. Huddled in a mass of thousands were the last survivors. Whatever ships still flying were loading the refugees, and it was into this that the Ultramarines deployed. Over the course of days, transports were loaded and evacuated. All the while, Ultramarines held the line, rotating squads as needed while Thunderhawks assisted the retreat. Each day, despite the Necron’s penchant for their fallen merely fading into the earth, piles of metallic bodies covered the advances to the cathedral. Sprawling machine-things, many leagues in width, had literally began to tear the city apart, brick by brick. After 7 days, the last of the survivors and the PDF were loaded. Castiel’s, and two other squads formed the rearguard, their Thunderhawk roaring in the square. Ammunition nearly spent, they were reduced to making strategic kill-shots, buying time with the fallen bodies. Castiel was the one to notice a wraith-construct, arrowing straight for the Thunderhawk and his brothers. Stepping off the boarding ramp, Castiel used the last of his rounds to block the thing’s flight, bringing it down at his feet. Heavy bolter spent, he used his bolt pistol to wrench the thing’s life from it’s body, before running back to the Thunderhawk. Clutching hands of still functioning Necrons grabbed at his boots, slowing his progress. Determined, Castiel wrenched himself from their death-grip and stepped aboard the Thunderhawk, moments before the monstrous Tomb Spyders gained the walls of the Cathedral. Such was Candlemas, 870.M41. A world was lost that day, but those loyal Imperial citizens remembered the deeds of the guarding Angels.

Castiel has since served with his hallmarks of discipline and steadfastness, participating in every action the Third has served in since. 30 years of war, without a backward step from duty. It is his lesson to the fresh Marines to pass through his unit, that action be constantly tempered with prudence. And although not elevated to Sergeant, Castiel has certainly amassed the respect of his Company and it’s Captain.